


The beginning of this

by inspiron (skam2607)



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, Hannibal is an emotional mess, M/M, Post Fall, Post TWOTL, Post-Episode: s03e13 The Wrath of the Lamb, a cannibal in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 17:09:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16791172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skam2607/pseuds/inspiron
Summary: Hannibal never let himself hope that Will would ever acknowledge his love so when Will invited him for a fishing trip he hadn't thought that Will would ask for a kiss that is also their first kiss. He is an emotional wreck and Will is quiet worried for him.





	The beginning of this

***

He had accepted it that this was the extent of Will’s affections: an embrace on the bluff, both of them bathed in the blood of the dragon slayed by them. He had first realized it when he went to check on the stitches on Will’s cheek and Will didn’t let Hannibal’s hand linger on his cheek. He had accepted it immediately when he realized that the only intimacy that Will was going to provide was to stay with him under the same roof. He had accepted that he won’t get much more and why wouldn’t he accept it? After spending three years behind a clear glass wall without even the pretense of privacy and without any possibility that he’ll get to see Will again- to be able to see Will again everyday was a blessing and Hannibal was not going to tempt fate again; he’ll soak in the scent of Will lingering in their house and he’ll be happy with the fact that Will has chosen him, that he left his wife and kid to be with Hannibal.

Will doesn’t talk about them deliberately. Their names sometimes slip when Will is relaxed and they are talking about something or the other. Sometimes they talk about the past but Will just mostly talks about his dogs and then he’d say something like- Wally took the dogs for a walk or Molly gave them extra treats. He’d go silent then as if he caught himself doing something wrong. Hannibal doesn’t try to tell Will that it’s okay to talk about them. He knows that he and Will don’t share this past and he won’t tell Will what to do and not do with it.

He had accepted it. Sitting beside Will even in the silence was infinitely better than being without will. He won’t cry for more. And he didn’t.

***

When it happened was completely unexpected. After, they had shared bed for the first time. Will lied down on the bed and opened his arms and Hannibal went without any protest. He hid his face in the crook of Will’s neck as Will wrapped his arms around his back. Hannibal tried to control his breathing when Will pulled him even closer in a tight embrace. They didn’t talk and for the first time in a long time Hannibal found his mind peaceful- there was nothing going on his mind. His thoughts were all in the present. He thought about the warmth and smoothness of Will’s skin and the beats of Will’s heart. He thought about Will’s hold going lax as he started to fall asleep. He felt Will’s breathing slow down but he didn’t think about teacups, times and the rules of disorder.

He laid there trying to trace when it had begun that led them to this moment- when Will got up and extended his hand towards him or before that when he had leaned in and kissed Will sweetly as a kid might kiss for the first time or before that when Will suggested to go on an overnight fishing trip or even before when they embraced near the lifeless body of the dragon. He wondered if perhaps it was set in motion at the start of time.

***

They made their home there after the initial storm created by Will’s plan had passed and they had healed and paid Bedelia a visit. It was a beautiful home, secluded and surrounded by tall trees. The closest neighbours were miles away and _not_ American. Will relaxed immediately when he realized that he could avoid any and all social interactions by pretending to not know a word of Spanish but that didn’t stop the neighbours from reaching out to them. Hannibal happily made the sacrifice and became friends with the neighbours and even joined their weekly clubs and shared recipes and gardening tips- happily playing the role of the wife whose “reclusive” husband spends the day in the garage fixing boat motors with his two rescued dogs.

They hadn’t said themselves but people assumed that they were married. Will didn’t seem bothered by it and Hannibal didn’t let his pleased thoughts out in the open and faked nonchalance too. Everything had worked out great. They went to parties when they absolutely couldn’t ignore the invitations. They even hosted a few dinner parties though the meat was not the type he preferred Hannibal still played the role of the host sincerely with a hand around Will’s waist as they welcomed their guests.

After the last guest would leave, Will would retreat to his space with the dogs on his heel. They slept in different rooms, woke up at different times but they still found themselves in each other’s orbits. They sat together- sometimes doing their own things like Will grooming the dogs and Hannibal with a book or Will working on some or other mechanical thing that needed fixing and Hannibal with his sketch book and pencils drawing Will sometimes from memory and sometimes live with Will’s hands stained with motor oil and grease and sometimes Will would accidently smear the black oil across his face as he absently wiped off the sweat beads across his forehead.

Hannibal’s heart would get stuck there more often than not and he’d forget drawing and just stare at Will. Will is always beautiful to him but in those moments he is breathtaking- sunlight in the background giving a halo like effect around his wild curls that are longer now and his slightly tanned skin glistening with sweat. Will would feel eyes on him and look up to him and give him an absent innocent smile and then he’d go back to his work. Hannibal realized that what he’s got is already more than he hoped to get when he spent his nights sleepless behind the glass-wall.

***

They were sitting outside on the rooftop in the cooling summer night. The breeze was soothing after the heat of the day. The dogs were fed and slumbering downstairs. Will had suggested coming here after their dinner. Hannibal opened the expensive wine bottle he had recently managed to procure and they made their way to the roof and settled on the two lounge chairs put side by side. He gave one glass to Will and put the bottle on the side table.

It was peaceful and the sky was clear. They could see the stars in the low light. He hadn’t expected Will to say anything because Will often didn’t. He had grown quieter after the fall -happier and more content (in Will’s own words) but quieter. Hannibal had thought that this would be just like other times.

‘I am thinking about going for a fishing trip tomorrow.’ Will said quietly. Hannibal gave Will a few moments to see if he was going to add anything else. Will had taken a number of fishing trips in the past too- alone first and then with the dogs but he never invited Hannibal and Hannibal didn’t impose.

‘Do you want to come?’ Will said and looked at Hannibal who couldn’t hide his surprise upon hearing the question but he schooled his expressions quickly.

‘Are you sure?’ Hannibal asked in a voice that conveyed far more nonchalance than what he was feeling inside.

‘Yes, I want you to come.’ Will said easily and then added that they’ll take the dogs too. Hannibal smiled because off course they’ll take the dogs.

***

It was an overnight trip and they started at midday. Hannibal observed as Will took the command. This was the extent of his work on the deck. He sat with a book in his hand as Will did the fishing. He was ecstatic to see Will in his element and it felt like he was having a religious experience. Will caught him staring and Hannibal didn’t break the eye contact. He let himself look in Will’s eyes and hoped that Will won’t mind.

Will didn’t mind. He looked back though Hannibal couldn’t read what Will’s eyes were saying; he couldn’t comprehend the script in which Will’s face wrote his emotions. He let himself look till his heart was content.

In the night he was sat on the deck looking at the stars when Will came and sat beside him and Hannibal could smell the aftershave he had bought for Will. He smiled with satisfaction and took another whiff quite shamelessly.

‘Do you know Ella?’ Will asked after a few minutes. Hannibal looked at Will who was looking at the sea.

‘Yes, Claudia’s daughter.’ Hannibal said wondering why Will would ask about the daughter of their neighbor.

‘Hmm. She asked me something the other day.’ Will told as he pulled his knees to his chest and then wrapped his arms around them. He looked like a child sitting like that.

‘What did she ask?’ Hannibal asked wondering where the conversation was going.

‘That how did we first meet?’ Will said and then looked at Hannibal. He was smiling amusingly Hannibal noticed which relaxed him too.

‘Why would she ask you that?’

‘She was curious. It’s not every day that a mechanic and an art dealer get married.’ Will replied, the smile on his face staying strong. Hannibal didn’t let himself get distracted.

‘And what did you say?’ He asked finding himself eager to hear Will’s answer.

‘That your car got broke and no one else could fix it.’ Will said raising his eyebrows and Hannibal laughed. Will joined him.

‘That’s a good story- simple and sweet.’

‘She asked me something else too.’ Will said looking into Hannibal’s eyes and Hannibal saw an emotion burning into Will’s eyes but he didn’t let hope flutter in his heart. He stymied its wings before it could get the taste of free flight. The air around changed then and Hannibal was aware that it was Will who had instigated whatever that had changed. He wanted to pursue it though with necessary caution. Will looked away not giving him a chance to determine and recognize the emotion filling Will’s eyes.

‘What did she ask, Will?’ He asked.

‘About our first kiss.’ Will said and held Hannibal’s eyes charging the air with unspoken and hidden emotions that were getting the voice for the first time since their nascent steps that were stopped harshly by Will’s silence in the aftermath of the fall.

‘And what did you tell her?’ Will didn’t speak for a few moments making Hannibal wait even for the made-up story of their made-up relationship.

‘I told her that I invited you on a fishing trip and there you kissed me for the first time amidst all the blue water and under the blue sky.’ Will said and Hannibal thought that Will wasn’t going to say anything else. He himself was unable to speak. He felt as if his heart was going to explode. He hadn’t let himself hope of this- not only the act but also the acknowledgement that this was something he even desired.

Hannibal didn’t say anything. He had promised himself that everything will happen with Will’s speed and around Will’s limitations. After being starved for Will’s attention and affection for three years he had decided that after having them he won’t do anything to lose them. He wasn’t going to start it now. He let Will take his time but despite his attempts a small hope was starting to bloom in his heart and Hannibal found himself ready for the pain if the hope didn’t see its fruition. He will pay for it in pain and heartbreak if this turned out nothing but talk but even the allusion of it was better than nothing.

‘Why won’t you kiss me?’ Will asked one question that Hannibal wasn’t expecting at all. His surprise must’ve been evident because Will flushed and looked away.

‘I wasn’t aware that I could do that.’ Hannibal didn’t want Will to look away, not now when he had ignited something again that Hannibal had let burn out. Will looked back and Hannibal saw something akin to worry or doubt on his lovely face.

‘Weren’t you in love with me?’ Will asked in a voice that didn’t sound like his for it was laces with too much doubt and vulnerability. Hannibal hated it.

‘I _am_.’ He stressed.

‘Then come here and make my story true.’ Will whispered and Hannibal sat there with a hammering heart which was confused between the fear of this moment being a dream and ecstasy of this moment being reality.

He leaned towards Will slowly as to savour this moment. The anticipation was more delicious than the finest delicacies he had fortune to have in his life. Only one thing could be better than this and that was the moment when his lips finally touched Will’s. The kiss was exactly like a first kiss should be-a bit hesitant and just the slightest pressure of lips pressed together.

He leaned back to look at Will who was already looking at him. This time Will leaned and kissed him. Will kissed enthusiastically and demanding. Hannibal was aware of Will moving on to his lap and his arms coming around Will’s waist. Will’s palm was on his chest and another was stroking his cheek. Hannibal let Will set the pace. He was content to be kissed. Will was now deepening the kiss and Hannibal found himself unable to think anything else.

He experienced joy not even the greatest opera performance could grant him as Will slid his tongue inside his mouth. All of his life somehow seemed far away when Will pressed himself closer and closer to him that not even the air could pass between them. Their shadows became one and the same. Hannibal felt as if he existed only where Will’s body touched his. The rest melted away in the salty air and vanished in the ocean. Only the nerves where Will was touching him seemed to be working and that too in overdrive. He was aware that he needed to breathe but he seemed to have forgotten how.

‘Breathe, Hannibal.’ He heard Will say and only then he regained the respiratory function back. Will kissed his cheeks and forehead and his nose while Hannibal filled his lungs with air.

Will was looking at him then with open and raw honesty and Hannibal has never seen a sight more beautiful than this and he never will, he knew that. Tears came running down his cheeks when happiness filled his heart to the brim.

Will looked worried for a second as he wiped his tears with tentative fingers. Hannibal shook his head and pulled Will’s mouth towards him by his hand on the back of Will’s neck. Will came willingly and let himself be kissed sweetly and then passionately but the tears won’t stop. They came like waves and brought back with them the past and the vast possibilities of future. Hannibal let himself washed with all that the kiss brought to the surface.

They both knew that nothing more was going to happen tonight so they didn’t even try. The kisses became languid and slow with time and after one lingering kiss that left Hannibal staring at Will with stars in his eyes, Will got up and extended his hand for Hannibal to take. Hannibal placed his hand into the rougher and calloused hand of Will and followed Will back to the bedroom. Will got into the bed first and then he invited Hannibal into his arms. Hannibal reveled in the overwhelming feelings of having Will under him as his anchor in the middle of the ocean of life.

Will fell asleep first, his arms went lose but Hannibal stayed in the embrace- counting Will’s breaths and trying to match theirs. He wondered which moment in the past set this in motion or was this set at the beginning of the time.

***

Darkness of the past was embraced by the promising light of the future and all the grievances were being erased from their minds. This was the first and many more were to come and they absolutely couldn’t wait.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Kudos and comments are much appreciated.


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